Opposition deputies promote Two law initiatives that seek to modify the temporary law of integral development and benefit veterans widows, as well as including former members of the civil self -defense patrols who served during the internal armed conflict. According to preliminary figures, spending could grow more than 156%.
Veterans settled yesterday in the vicinity of the Congress to request that the initiatives that promote new accessions be approved, as well as expand the duration of the program for those who already participate. Deputies Luis Aguirre and Byron Tejeda de Cabal also supported the mobilization.
“We want the next week to be scheduled for second reading and that at the end of the month it is a reality,” said Deputy Aguirre while accompanying the mobilization.
Since 2023 that the Ministry of Social Development (Mides) is in charge of the delivery of a stipend From Q1 thousand monthly to military in retirement for their participation in a reforestation program. The most up -to -date figure of registered indicates that there are 80 thousand. The duration of this project is three years, ending in 2027.
The reading of the initiative that raises reforms to the Integral Development Law was included in the agenda of the session yesterday but that procedure did not materialize.
Contributions
Since 2023 that began the program, Q1 thousand 470 million have been allocated for the monthly payment of the beneficiaries. Those who registered to the program in that year will finish receiving the contribution in 2026, since it is a three -year project.
The first group of beneficiaries are known that they are mostly from Jutiapa, Guatemala and Baja Verapaz, according to the portfolio data.
Reforestation activities are in charge of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MARN) who have had monthly training on environmental training for more than a year. Besides, At the beginning of 2024, the sowing of fruit trees was sowing in 100 hectares of three departments.
If the 6416 initiative manages to be approved, it would allow the current widows or couples in the current union of ex -military who have provided military service to participate in reforestation activities which would raise the expense.
In addition, there is another bill promoted by the same deputies, which creates a program exactly like the one that already exists, but is intended for civil expatrles. According to them Figures handled by the speakers would be about 205 thousand people who would benefit from said program.
If said bills were approved, more than Q7 thousand 380 million extras for monthly payment would be allocated for three years only for the Expac.
Mides were consulted if you have an analysis of the impact that could have the approval of the bill, but there was no response before the closing of this note.
Payment with difficulties
Since MIDES began with the program, different budgetary obstacles for monthly payment has been faced. During the first year of this government the payments were irregular, on several occasions groups of beneficiaries took to the streets to demand payment pointing out that they had more than three months without receiving the stipend.
In that context, the development portfolio justified the lack of budgetary availability to make such payments and 300 million were transferred in the budget extension to cover the payment.
That is why in this 2025 these extras Q300 million to comply with the obligation were included since the approval of the general budget.
Pressures
It is not the first time that the initiatives that involve the benefits to ex -military cause mobilizations outside Congress. In 2022 when the current benefit was approved, dozens of veterans constantly went to zone 1 during the discussion days in Congress. A group of veteran assumptions would have participated in burning the Legislative Palace on the eve of the approval of the decree.
This Tuesday in addition to the walk they made, some members of the different groups went to the public box of the hemicycle during the ordinary session.